In 2020, a wind turbine repair company approached us in need of a retrofit solution to repair a number of damaged Siemens Gamesa SWT-2.3-101 onshore wind turbines. The wind site has significant lightning issues that permeated throughout their farm of nearly 100 turbines. Suffering downtime and disrepair, they needed an upgrade to the factory LPS.
What Type of Damage Did the Wind Turbines Suffer?
The site, located in the northwest United Kingdom, is subject to heavy wind and significant electrical storms. This makes protecting the site with dozens of valuable Siemens Gamesa turbines difficult. In atmospheric conditions like this one, it’s not a matter of whether or not the turbines will suffer lightning strikes; this is a certainty.
Rather, the right question to ask is how often–and how severely–will these wind turbines be struck by lightning?
The Initial Assessment
The SWT-2.3-101 turbines suffered similar damage to what we typically see in the field as turbines age and suffer wear and tear in harsh climates. Some of the factors that weaken an LPS over time include, but are not limited to:
- Age
- General atmospheric and weather-related wear and tear
- Leading edge erosion
- Near lightning strikes
- Direct lightning strikes
- Dirt and dust accumulation on the blade surface
- Water seepage into the blade structure
Job Details & Constraints
The buyer required a consultation on the most cost-effective long-term solutions. The goal was to find a LPS retrofit that his technicians could install quickly and easily while up on ropes. With other repairs to be made to the blades, the goal was to fix as much as possible without drastically extending the time, cost and difficulty of the job.
Objectives For This LPS Retrofit Solution
During our consultation, it was clear that a number of factors were front-of-mind for the client, including:
- Installation Ease & Safety
- The ideal LPS product could be installed in less than one hour per blade
- Reducing installation time and complexity would keep technicians safer
- Long-term Durability
- The client was searching for an LPS retrofit that could withstand repeated lightning strikes
- Justifiable Cost-Benefit
- As preventive maintenance, the LPS solution we offer is easily justified, as it can be installed in less than an hour per turbine, and prevents future damage to the blade, avoiding the tremendous expense of stopping turbines later to repair that damage
Design of the StrikeTape LR Wind Turbine LPS Retrofit
Our site-specific turbine LPS designs are created factoring in our knowledge of the turbine model, atmospheric conditions, service life, budget and time constraints. In this case, our proposed optimal design involved:
- Four total diverters per blade (two on the suction side, two on the pressure side)
- Designed to prevent lightning strikes from entering the drain hole located on the suction side
- Maintaining factory aerodynamics (installation is only 1mm in thickness)
Pressure Side Design Blade LPS Design
Note: The blade graphics below are not exact replicas of the Siemens SWT-2.3-101- used for illustration only.
Suction Side Blade LPS Design
Installation of the LPS
At Weather Guard, we’ve developed an installation process that is both fast and straight-forward while also incredibly durable. We supply our clients with a list of all approved materials, including a proprietary edge sealant that outperforms any typical epoxy.
It’s through the combination of our advanced manufacturing AND installation procedures that a StrikeTape LPS will withstand brutal weather conditions and repeat lightning strikes.
In this case, we provided all wind techs with our installation video series and materials. A sample of the video is found below.
Summary: What This Client Received From Weather Guard
Customer service is our #1 priority, and we provide our clients with the following:
- Consulting and guidance on the best solution to lightning damage
- StrikeTape LPS parts custom-cut and finished to client specifications
- Complete materials list for installation
- Full diverter diagrams for installation
- Installation video series (translated subtitles available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, French & German)
- Quick shipping and continued customer support
Ready for an LPS Upgrade? Our Retrofit Solutions Are Ready For Your Application
Contact us today for help with solving your lightning damage problems. At Weather Guard, we are the lightning protection experts and our aim is to keep your wind farm running 24/7 so you can keep producing clean energy for the planet.
